calieoksria



Jan. 4, 1927.

J. E. KOBERNIK APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBONS Filed April 1, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 29 Jan. 4, 1927.

.1. E. KOBERNIK APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBONS Filed April 1, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [Bus/afar Ju 5 .5. K oberm'k Patented Jan. 4, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFIQE.

JULIUS EDVJARD KOBEBNIK, OF FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO NEWTON PROCESS MANUFACTURING Gil, OF FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA. A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBONS.

Application filed April 1, 1925.

My invention relates to an apparatus for absorbing light hydrocarbons from casing head gas, especially for the purpose of taking the gasoline out of natural gas by continuous process, in which the absorbing medium runs in at the top and out at the bottom and the natural gas runs in at the bottom and out at the top.

Hereto't'orc in an apparatus of this kind having successive chambers one above the other, it has been usual for the absorbing medium to run out of the chambers when the gas pressure stops so that when the gas pressure comes again there is no absorbing medium in the chambers and the process will not commence until the chambers are refilled with absorbing medium, the absorbing medium being held in the chambers solely by the gas pressure.

It is the objectof this invention to form a trap construction to hold the absorbing medium from running out of the chambers when the gas pressure fails.

Another object of this invention is to form a trap to hold the gas from blowing the absorbing medium out of the lower chamber by an excess pressure of gas.

Another object is to place a large baiile in front of the gas outlet to catch the flying particles oi absorbing medium and vapor.

Another obj ct is to place circulating tubes upon the upper partition that are higher than the proposed level of the absorbing medium and place baiiics upon the upper ends of the tubes.

Other objects and advantages may appear from the dravv'ings and specifications. The invention consists of the novel features herein shown, described and claimed.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an apparatus "for absorbing light hydrocarbons from casing head gas, the view being forc shortened by breakiu away to indicate that it may be any desired height with any de sired number of mixing chambers, the view being taken on the lines 11 of Figs. 4, 5, (3 and 'i' and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

2 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Serial No. 19,834.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line li of Fig. 1 and looking downwardly as indicated by the arrows. I

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line of Fig. 1 and looking downwardly as indicated by the arrows. i

Fig. (5 is a horizontal section on the line 66 of Fig. 1 and looking upwardly as indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line 'T7 of Fig. 1 and looking downwardly as indicated by the arrows. v

The details of construction and operation are as follows:

The vertical cylindrical shell 1 is of considerable size in horizontal cross section and of considerable height. the black lines 2 and 3 being intended to indicate that a considerable portion of the shell is broken away to 'im'eshorten the view and that several miss ing chan'ibers may be in this broken away portion. Horizontal partitions i, 5, and 6 are inserted into the shell 1 and welded or otherwise suitably secured and evenly spaced apart to form mixing chambers 7, 8, and 9.

A partition 10, is inserted a short distance below the partition +1; to form the initial gas supply chamber 11, and the gas pipe 12 having a valve 13 is tapped through the wall of the shell 1 into the cl amber 11. The partitions 1, 5 and (3 are provided with a plurality of perforations l -l and above each pcrforation there is a recirculating jet tube 15 in the shape oi a short vertical cylinder open at the top and having slots 16 at the bot tom, immediately above the partition.

The tubes are set concentric to the perforations 14-, sothat the gas pressure passing through a perforation as indicated by the arrow 1? in Fig. 3 will shoot straight through the tube and produce an injector action to draw liquid in through the slot 16 and pass it upwardly and outwardly over the upper end of the tube. thereby causing a continuous circulation of the absorbing element and the gas.

The partition 5 is provided with recirculating tubes 15 in the same way the partition 4.-. The recirculating jet tubes 15 upon the partitions and 5 are comparatively short and are intended to be covered with the layers of absorbing liquid 18 and 19.

Hill

The partition 6 may be provided with the recirculating jet 15, but I prefer to use the jet tubes mounted concentric to the perforations 14 upon the partition 6 and having slots 21 at their lower ends immediately above the partition and the baffle deflectors 22 upon their upper ends. The tubes 20 are substantially twice as long as the tubes 15 and will extend some distance above the level 23 of the absorbing medium in the chamber 9, the object being to prevent the absorption of the non-condensible gases by the clean absorbing medium and to discharge the lean gas clear of the absorbing medium into the chamber 9.

A battle 22 comprises a ring 241- fitting tightly upon the upper end of the tube 20, and inclined cover 25 is formed integrally with tl e ring and extends substantiallyhalf way around, sides 26 connecting the cover to the ring and a horizontal projection 27 extending from the cover 25 beyond the sides 26 as shown in Fig. 2, the object being to break up the stream of gas as it .passes through the absorbing medium in the tube 20 in the direction indicated by the arrow 28 and to catch any absorbing medium that may pass upwardly through the tube and return it to the layer 23. The pipe 29 leads the lean gas from the top of the chamber 9. A batlle plate 30 is mounted in the top of the Cl1t111iher 9 below the end of the pipe 29 to catch as much as possible of the flying absorbing medium and prevent this absorbing medium from passing through the pipe 29 with the gas.

The absorbing medium is introduced into the shell 1 by the pipe 31 controlled by a valve 32 and tapped through the wall of the shell immediately above the partition 6.

An overflow pipe 33 is fixed through the partition 5 and extends to near the partition 4 and the upper end of the overflow pipe 33 extends substantially twice as far above the partition 5 as does the tube 15 and the height of this pipe above the partition 5 determines the level of the layer 19 of absorbing medium.

A. similar overflow pipe 34 is fixed through the partition 6 to determine the level of the layer 23 of absorbing medium. The overflow pipe 33 extends into the layer 18 of absorbing medium and the overflow pipe 3 1 extends into the layer 19 of the absorbing medium.

The apparatus which I am improving stops at this point in the construction and usually has a free outlet for the absorbing medium leading from the lower layer in the lower chamber, and the operation is as follows:

The level of the layer 18 of absorbing medium will constantly vary with the changing gas pressure and excessive pressure may blow this layer entirely out.

The absorbing medium which is preferably seal oil or an oil heavier than distillate or kerosene and adapted to absorb the vapors contained in. natural gas, passes through the pipe 31 and forms the layer 23 upon the partition 6 and overflows through the pipe 3 1 until it forms the layer 19 upon the partition 5 and overflows the pipe 33 until it forms the layer 18 upon the partition a and fills the chamber 36 and pipe 38 to the level 10 and flows through the valve 39 according to the regulation of the valve. The valve 32 is adjusted to substantially correspond with the adjustment of the valve 39 to make a continuous flow of the absorbing medium.

The casing head gas flows into the chainher 11, through the pipe 12 and is i'egulated by the valve 13 and the gas passes upv rdly through the perforations 1 1 in the partition 1 and through the recirculating jet tubes 15, causing a continuous circulation of the layer 18 to absorb the vapors fr .n the gas and the gas escaping from the layer 18 passes upwardly through the perforations 1 1 in the partition 5 and through the recirculating tubes 15 and the layer 19 of absorbing me dium and the escaping gas passes upwardly through the perforations 1a in the partition 6 and through the tubes 15 or 20 into the chamber 9 and the lean gas finally passes outwardly through the pipe The trouble with this construction is that the tlow of gas is spasmodic and every tin'i-c the gas flow stops the absorbing medium in the layers 18,19 and 23will flow back *ardly through the perforations 1%, until the chainbers are depleted of absorbing medium the outlet formed by the collection of 1 )erforatious 1 1 being greater than the inlet through the valve 32 as adjusted. Then when the gas flow starts again there is no absorbing medium and the gas will flow freely and be wasted until the gas pressure has continued long enough to retard the absorbing medium and reform the layers 18, 19 and 23. The only thing that holes the absorbing medium upon the partitions a, 5, and 6 in this construction is the upflow of through the perforations 14.

The object of my invention is to oven come these defects and for that purpose I have provided a trap for the first or lower chamber to hold the absorbing medium at a constant level, under excess gas pressure, and I have provided traps for each chamber 7, 8 and 9 to prevent the absorbing medium from running out of the chamber when the gas pressure fails.

The details of construction and operation of the traps are as follows:

The shell 1 has a bottom a considerable distance below the partition 10, thus forming the trap chamber 36.

A conduit 37 leads through the partition 4L, through the chamber 11 and through the partition 10.

A pipe 38 leads through the wall of: the shell 1 from the chamber 36 and upwardly and then outwardly hrough the Valve hen the valve 39 is properly adjusted the level 4:0 of the absorbing medium will determine the level of the layer 18 in the chamher 7. The chamber 7 is the first gas chamber and the tinal absorbing medium chamber and it would be objectionable to place an overflow pipe to regulate the depths of the layer 18 for the reason that the chamber would then become a settling basin and the bottom of the absorbing medium would never run out of the chamber through the overflow pipe.

The uptlowing column of absorbing medium in the pipe 38 counter-balances the gas pressure at its highest and will hold the oil in the trap and maintain a practically constant level of the layer 18. The gas pressure and volume are regulated by the valve 13.

A. partition 4:1 is mounted immediately below the partition 4- and fixed to term a tight chamber above the chamber 11. Parallel walls 43 and extend upwardly from the partition 4: across the center and are connected by a top d5, thus forming a slot l-(S through the partition 4. The top l is some distance above the level 18 of the absorbing medium.

An opening or slot at? is formed through the partition all in. vertical alineinent with the slot -.6 and walls 48 and 4-9 extend up wardly from the edges of the slot t? loosely into the space between the walls 43 and 44:, the upper edges of the walls l8 and s9 being above the level of the layer 18 0t absorbing medium.

in a like manner a baffle 50 is formed upon the partition 5, a partition 51 is inserted below the partition 5 to form a chamber "2 and the conduit 53 extends upwardly into the battle 50.

In a like manner a battle 5% is formed upon the partition 6. A partition 55 is in serted below the partition 6 and forms the chamber 56 and the conduit 5'? extends up wardly from the partition into the batfie The operation of the trap is as follows:

lVhen the gas pressure fails, the absorbing medium 18 will run downwardly through the perforations l l into the chamber 12 until the chamber is filled to the remaining level of the layer and the absorbing medium is held in this position. lVhen the gas pressure is restored the gas flows upwardly through the conduit formed by the walls 4:8 and 49 into the batile formed by the walls 43, ts to a point above the norial level of the layer 18 and overflows downwardly to the chamber d2 and then up wardly through the perforations 14 as before. The balllc 50 in the chamber 8 and the corresponding parts work in the same way and so does the baiiie Set in the chamber 9.

Thus I have provided means for holding the absorbing medium at a constant level against the gas pressure in the first gas mixing chamber, which is the final absorbing medium chamber and for holding the absorbing medium in its respective chambers when the gas pressure tails. Obviously this will save considerable time and considerable waste of gas, because the apparatus is always ready to start the absorbing process when the absorbing medium is flowing downwardly and the gas flowing upwardly.

The batlle 30 and the long circulating tubes 20 with battles upon their upper ends are also a part of my invention.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

1 claim:

1. In an apparatus for absorbing light hydrocarbons having a vertical shell divided by horizontal partitions into a series of mixing chambers and a series of perforations through the partition'-', a trap combined with each partition to admit gas to the lei-forations and hold absorbing medium from running backwardly through the perforations when the gas pressure tails, each of said traps comprising a trap partition mounted below the mixing chamber partition, a battle extending upwardly from the mixing chamber partition. to a point above the desired level of absorbing medium and open at the bottom and a conduit extending upwardly from the trap partition into the battle to a point above the level of the absorbing medium so that when the gas pressure fails the absorbing medium will sin'iply run into the chamber between the mixing chamber partition and the trap partition.

2. In an apparatus for absorbing light hydrocarbons, having a vertical shell divided by horizontal partitions into a series 0t mixing chambers and having an absorbing medium intake at the top and an outlet at the bottom having a gas intake at the bottom and an outlet at the top, a trap chamber at the bottom a conduit connecting the trap chamber with the lowerniost mixing chamber, whereby the said lowermost mixing chamber, the conduit and the trap chamber will be filled with absorbing medium, and means connected with the trap chamber to resist the pressure and maintain a constant level in the lowermost mixing chamber.

23. In an apparatus for absorbing light hydrocarbons as claimed in claim 2, V in which the means to resist the gas pressure comprises a pipe extending upwardly from the trap chamber, having provision for a liquid level on the level with the absorbing medium in the lowermost mixing chamber.

4:. In an apparatus of the class described, having a first gas chamber forming a final absorbing medium chamber, a gas supply chamber below the first chamber, means to pass gas from the supply chamber through the final absorbing medium chamber, a trap chamber below the gas supply chamber, a conduit connecting the final absorbing medium chamber and the trap chamber, and means connectedv with the trap chamber to resist the pressure of gas and hold the absorbin medium in the final absorbing medium chamber at a constant level.

5. In an apparatus as claimed in claim in which the means to resist the gas pressure comprises an upwardly extending pipe connected to the trap chamber, having a part thereof on a level with the absorbing medium in the final absorbing medium chamher.

6. In an apparatus for absorbing light hydrocarbons, a shell havin a perforate partition therein adapted to form an absorbing medium and mixing chamber above the said partition, a partition below the perforate partition, the space between the said partitions forming a gas passage, a baiile extending upwardly from the perforate partition, and means forming a passage through the partition from the baffle into the said battle and into the said passage.

7. In an apparatus for absorbing light hydrocarbons, having a vertical shell with a horizontal perforate partition therein, the said partition and shell forming an absorbing medium and mixing chamber, a baiile having side and top walls extending upwardly from the perforate partition and forming a slot in said partition, a partition beiow the perforate partition, having a slot forming a gas passage therebetween, walls ex tending upwardly from said slot into the said baffle, whereby the said walls retain the absorbing medium in the gas passage when it flows downwardly through the perforations.

8. In an apparatus for absorbing light hy drocarbons having a vertical shell, a horizontal first partition therein having perforations and a slot extending transversely across the partition, recirculating jet tubes extending upwardly over the perforations and having openings at the base, side walls extending upwardly from the said slot, a topconnccting the side walls, a second partition positioned below the first partition hav ing a slot therethrough, second side walls extending through said second slot into the first slot and between the side walls extending pwardly from the first partition, the said second side walls extending above the first partition and adapted to form a trap with the second partition to retain absorbing medium flowing down through the said perforations.

5). An apparatus for absorbing light bydrocarbons, comprising a shell having a series of transverse partitions having perfo' rations the said partitions having a transverse slot, side walls and a top extending uuwardly from the slot, additional. partitions positioned below the lirs" mentioned partitions raving an upv-rardly extending passage into the said slots, the said passage leading above the level of the lirst inci iioned partitions, the first mentioned partitions iiorming absorbing mediui'i'r mixing chambers, and means to conduct the overflow from an upper chamber through the partitions to the chamber next below.

ill. in an apparatus for absorbing light i'ydrocarbons, a mixing chamber having a iorizontal partition with perforations therethrough, a recirculating jet tube concentric rations and having at the base of each tube and inballles on the top of each of the said i "-in apparatus for absorbing light hydrocarbons, having a vertical shell, a hori tal partition baring p rforations thereirough, the shell and the partition forming mixing absorbing medium chamber above he partition, the partition having an elongated opening with upwardly extending walls and a cap for said walls, a second partition below said first partition having a slot with upwardly extending walls extending between the first mentioned walls, the said partitions formi 'ig a gas passage therebetwecn, a third partition positioned below the second partition forming a supply chamber therewith and a gas inlet pipe connected through the shell to said chan'iber.

12. An apparatus for absorbing light bydrocarbons as claimed in claim 11, having .in addition a trap chamber in the shell below the third partition, a conduit passing through all the partitions whereby the ab sorbing medium fills the trap chainlgicr, the conduit and the absorbii'ig medium chamber, and a pipe extending upwardly from the trap chamber, adapted to maintain the absorbing medium at a substantially constant level in the said absorbing medium chamber.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JULIUS EDWARD KOBERNHL 

